Her last hope
by Pitta
Summary: The overworld is one total mess when Palutena's soul is taken over. Towns are burnt to ash, people are killed and the surviving refugees are fearing the worst. One of them is Lily, Palutena's last hope to find the Ring of Chaos.


**One-shot time! I really love the chapters with evil Palutena and the Chaos Kin, so here another one-shot about the time between chapter 17 and 18. This time around the little girl that found the Ring of Chaos. I named her Lily, cause I thought it fits her. Before you mention: this occurs parallel to my other story "Possessed". And another note: Lily is not the girl Hades mentioned at the Phoenix Mountain. Hades completely made that story up. Lily has actually parents.**

**But anyway, enjoy and leave a review!**

**Grammar excuse: Hi I'm Dutch, and in the Netherlands we speak Dutch, and not English, so...yeah...my grammar isn't perfect.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kid Icarus or its characters. I don't own the image either, I found it on google.**

Lily's life was normal for a long time. She used to play outside with the other children in the town. Or she helped her mother with cooking. Her father was a soldier, fighting in the civil war. Lily was sure one day he would return: her father had had a training in Sparta! Lord Ares blessed him, she believed. She was luckily to go to school. Education was not for everyone (most children helped their parents in household or with farming), but her mother thought it was important for her to learn. Lady Palutena had set up a school in her hometown. She could actually read and write! And she was proud of it. But one day...her life changed completely.

Lily was doing some exercises her teacher gave her. She scribbled the ancient Greek symbols on her parchment. Suddenly, a sound of a horn echoed through the whole area. She dropped her quill and looked up. Her classmates and teacher did the same. The teacher stood up immediately.

'The warning signal!' the teacher exclaimed. His tone gave away he was afraid.

'The lessons are over. We have to shelter,' he said seriously. Lily made a squeaky sound.

'I want to go home, to mum,' she said. Her classmates said similar sentences.

'It's too dangerous to walk outside alone,' he said and beckoned. 'To the temple, there we are safe.' The children ran to their teacher and they ran outside the building. The teacher ran across the street with his students in his wake. The town was in panic, but Lily didn't know why. They ran through the great temple doors to the altar. Lady Palutena would give them protection.

'Oh great Palutena, protect us,' the teacher prayed to an enormous statue of the goddess. Lily was afraid and kneeled down, her little hands folded. _Please lady Palutena. Protect us!_ Everybody gasped when the statue came alive. Palutena's eyes glowed red and she swung with her staff.

'Foolish humans,' she spoke monotony. 'I'm sick of it protecting you worthless creatures.' Lily's eyes grew. _No, this can't be!_

'We always worshipped you!' a man shouted to the living statue.

'And what do I get with that?' she asked. 'Nothing!' The goddess stuck her staff into the ground, making the temple rumble. Everyone started screaming in panic and got the hell away. Lily was too shocked to move. She was pulled by the hand by a familiar man.

'DAD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!' she exclaimed as she got out the crushing temple. She hugged her father tightly. He lifted her up.

'Mum's here too, we have to flee. Palutena's army is destroying the city,' he spoke seriously. Lily's look went to the woman next to her dad. The idea of leaving her home made tears welling up behind her eyes. She had lived here since she was born.

'It will be fine, Lily,' her mother said to comfort her. 'Let's go.' They left without anything but her dad's hunting spear. It didn't take long before the whole village was burnt to ash. About thirty of the sixty inhabits had survived the attack. The adults had set up a camp for the night, made of wood and leaves. Lily was sitting in a corner of the camp, crying. The news Tommy wasn't found yet struck her like a bullet shot. Tommy, her neighbour, a young lad with messy blond hair, and especially her buddy. They did everything together. Going to school, explore the woods, play around the town. Not only idea of him probably being dead made her sad, but the chance of him having a good afterlife did too. Now Hades was messing up the souls, they couldn't rest. _Poor Tommy...rest in peace. You'll always be my friend._ It was a cold, horrible night. The men were busy protecting the camp from angels. Yes, angels. The centurions circled above the camp, like vultures above a carcass. Then they swooped down, trying to smack the people with their arms, clubs or claws. That night, Lily slept in the arms of her mother, her father fighting off the humanoid raptors.

'Don't worry, my love...' her mother said while stroking her short brown hair. 'We are heading toward That Second Town.' She knew her daughter wouldn't hear it, but if she did, it would comfort her.

But whatever they did, how far they travelled, they couldn't find peace. All towns were burnt to ashes, step by step. Palutena was furious with the humans. Why was she? People didn't know. It was a dark period. Lily was very afraid. She saw people die in awful ways. Her once clean dress was dirty of the sand and mud. There was no time or way to clean. She was the only one who kept praying, hoping this was one bad dream. Lady Palutena was nothing like this. How could she, the one who loved the humans, be so furious? Years of terror passed, when it happened. Maybe her most terrifying memory. Lily was travelling with her parents and the other refugees. Then, a bright light barred their way. People started gasping and crying in panic when they appeared. The goddess of light herself, along with her general.

'You race of selfishness! I am done with your disloyalty!' she spoke, her graceful arms pointing at the humans as she floated in the air.

'I demand you: kneel before me!' she shouted with a threatening undertone in her godly voice. Lily was the first to kneel. Many of the refugees followed. Some people got the hell away, but walked into their doom. The goddess pointed at the fleeing people and the angel next to her shot arrows in their backs.

'AARGH!' they screamed in pain as they dropped on their knees, before falling down.

'Please, my lady. Let us live!' one of the kneeled men begged. Palutena made a sign and the angel lowered his bow.

'Now, let's have a "talk" with you,' the goddess continued. 'Why is my altar empty for I know how long?'

'B-but my lady, you t-told us we d-didn't need t-to offer sacrifices to earn your b-blessings,' he replied afraid.

'I changed my mind. Now: offer me a sacrifice!' her voice echoed through the whole area. The people looked at each other. They had barely food for themselves, let alone to sacrifice.

'Oh great Palutena,' a woman said. 'As much we would love to, we don't have anything to offer.' Palutena seemed to dislike it.

'Oh, but I don't talk about wine, grain or livestock. I want a young virgin, bleeding to death to honour me.' The crowd gasped. Then the goddess pointed to Lily, whose eyes grew in fear.

'You are perfect,' Palutena said and turned to her angel. 'Seize her!' He nodded and walked emotionlessly to the little girl, grasping her.

'LILY!' both her parents shouted worried.

'Let me go!' Lily shouted in agony. She didn't want to die. She tried to free herself, but he was much stronger than she. Her eyes met with his and a shiver went down her spine. Those eyes...they didn't know any emotion or feeling. He had no expression at all. He looked rather _soulless_. Lily was flung before the goddess' feet.

'Thank you Pit,' she complimented her general and hold her staff above the little girl. Lily screamed in fear. She was about to die in a slow, painful way. She closed her eyes, but opened them when she was pulled away.

'Don't harm her!' her mother spat toward the goddess and took her daughter in her arms. Her father had stepped forwards and pointed his spear at her divine body.

'MUM! DAD!' Lily shouted.

'Leave our daughter alone!' her father shouted and was about to throw his spear.

'I won't let you go unpunished,' Palutena hissed and an energy of light lifted her parents. Lily's mother released her daughter. The light strangled the two humans, their skin started burning to ash. Lily was frozen in fear by the cries of her parents. She was at a loss. Her parents, her beloved parents were dying. Her eyes filled immediately with tears and she started crying. It didn't take long before nothing but ash remained of her parents. She looked the goddess in the eyes, showing her despair and sadness. That was when it happened. She heard something, no it was more like a feeling. A message from the furious deity before her. But no fury...it was more an alarm, an emergency call.

'_Hear my words, young girl. Don't be afraid, I ask your help. I'm trapped by a dark force. I ask you to seek a ring. A golden ring. My angel is trapped within it. He is our last hope. Go find him...the fate of the world depends on it...'_ Those words. This was not the real goddess. Her eyes grew. This would explain everything. Lily nodded, as sign she had understood it. Then she ran away. Away from this horrible place. That was the last time she had seen any of the other refugees. From the distance, more cries of pain were audible. It was likely "Palutena" or whoever was controlling her murdered the rest too. The images of her dying parents loomed before her eyes. Lily stopped in her tracks and dropped on her knees, crying.

'Father...mother...' she sobbed. 'I'll always love you.'

More days passed. Lily was thirsty, hungry and dirty. Her sadness was still her main emotion, but her determination kept pushing her forward. That ring the goddess mentioned, she had to find it. For the sake of the world. _The fate of the world depends of it_. She was actually the goddess' last hope. This thought gave her the strength she needed, but after weeks of seeking, depression stuck her.

'How am I supposed to do this!' she shouted skyward. 'I'm just a girl.' But when she said this, her attention went to a shimmering object in the grass. Her eyes grew. Was this? She ran to it. Her heart made a jump. Yes it was! A golden ring! The ring who held her angel imprisoned. Lily carefully picked it up. She lay it on her flat hand and noticed the symbols on it. To read it, she held it in the air. It said ελπίδα, Greek for "hope". Then she shoved it on her finger and looked at it. Then something strange happened. She heard voices:

_'__Ok...move!'_ said a voice of a teenage boy. And now the strange part. Her feet started walking, without wanting it. Lily felt the fear in her body, but realised it was the power of the angel within. The angel self realised it too and moved her toward a city. He sounded very confused. Deep inside her, she wanted to tell him what happened, but hadn't the courage to do so. She kept silent, afraid what he was going to do with her body.

_'__I hate to put this little girl in danger, but other people in the town might need help.'_ By hearing this, Lily relaxed a bit. This angel was really careful for everyone and she allowed him to use her (not that she had a choice, but still). But suddenly, she tripped over her own feet and fell. Lily gasped as the ring slipped off her finger and rolled away. She tried to grab it again, but a dog had caught it and ran away. She quickly stood up, but the dog was already out sight.

'How am I supposed to help now?' she asked herself in despair, but a feeling told her she had done everything she could.

'I hope I helped you enough to safe your goddess and mankind...' she said and walked away. The trapped Palutena looked at her. Fortunately her body, the Chaos Kin, hadn't noticed her. She couldn't do anything else but smile. _You did more than enough to help._

**-Pitta.**


End file.
